Whilst on topic of samples, what software do people find makes the most reliable mono sample from stereo. I have used Live but wondered if something better
My MD is a V1 (non UW) early serial number. I bought it when Elektron first announced it. Iām looking to use whatever unit I end up getting both in the studio, and live. Iām leaning towards the Digitakt, but still not certain.
Thx for all the replies in this thread. Lots of great info. Keep it coming.
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Pure poetry!
For me the compressor isnāt close to be noisy enough 
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I like it so much that Iāll order an MK2 the minute it becomes available.
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My relationship with the Rytm has been interesting so far. I traded an Octatrack for it, which BTW was my first introduction to sampling/production outside of running guitar through a pile of pedals. So it is my first drum machine. It was actually delivered to me the day the Mk II was announced hahaā¦ But Iāve enjoyed becoming accustomed to it. Perhaps the most interesting thing about it for me is that it wasnāt until recently I began to actually enjoy anything I made on it. Like I made plenty of stuff that I created to familiarize myself with the various machines and functions, but nothing that I would use in any songs I would create. Which is weird for me. Even with the Octatrack, early on, I was making things I liked enough to create songs out of. The Rytm has been much slower for me.
But here we are, a couple months later, and itās getting better, slowly but surely. I finally put some of my own samples into it and that alone has made a world of difference. I recently acquired STROM and that has been an absolute game changer, both for sound design and pattern creation. The machine and I are sort of growing together and it really is getting better all the time. I feel like Iāve still got a ways to go with it, and yet I am happy with my choice.
I find it interesting that so many people seem to pick one up and sell it off within a month. Iām glad I didnāt 
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I loved my Rytm in many ways, but not the workflow. I make all decisions nowadays on workflow. If something is fast and fun to get a groove going, then it stays. For me, the Digitakt is the only piece of Elektron gear that succeeds in workflow. You can get used to the workflow on the Rytm, but itās not fast and fun imo, just acceptable.
I sold my Rytm despite loving the sound of it. Now what Iāve discovered is that you can get the same sound from Analog Heat + Digitakt, but with way better workflow. Plus 8-note polyphony on the Digitakt via the RK002 cable and P-locks for external synths= big win. So to me the choice is now clear: Digitakt + Heat.
I understand why people love the Rytm, but for me the negatives outweighed the positives.
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Farken bewdiful (mk1)
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This is pretty much where Iām at. Rytm is really nice. It sounds huge and has some great features. But I havenāt really enjoyed it as much as my other elektron boxes. Especially since getting the DT. It is slightly faster and just way more fun, even though the functionalities are very similar.
Iām getting ready to sell my rytm and have been considering adding a heat to the DT for similar cost. You might have convinced me.
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But if the RYTM MKII has the same sampling as the DTā¦AND 8 OUTPUTSā¦might be where itās at, no?!
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sold my rytm when mk ii was announced. I like most things about it functionally but i didnāt like the pads at all, and i felt like the analog machines were really inflexible. I wish it had way more machines. I donāt see myself buying it again, those are pretty big things to dislike about it.
Scenes and Performances are amazing though
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Nothing about the MK2 has made me enjoy my MK1 any less.
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Not a finger drummer so using pads mostly for mutes, macros, and track select is fine.
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Never felt a loss with the lack of direct sampling. I prefer to make the most of the 64MB project ram with sample chains anyway.
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Love the traditional Elektron foot print / case size.
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Yea the new OLED screens are great, love my OT MKII, but I never had a complaint with the Rytm screen to begin with.
Iām excited to see 2nd hand MK1 prices come down so that another segment of the population can enjoy this great instrument.
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Thatās actually really helpful info. Iāve been using an ASR-10 since 1992 so I am a āfinger drummerā cause I chop on the keys. I also use no computers so direct input sampling is a must for me. I loved the DT workflow (itās surprisingly REALLY similar to the ASR-10 in terms of sampling.sequencing), I also donāt use MIDI soā¦if the MKII has the same sampling capabilities as the DT and sequencing, plus the 8 outputs, Iāll connect to the ASR-10 and then have 16 outputs. Super excited!
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I love my Rytm, I have always struggled with drums on my tracks but I always get something I like out of it. Scene and performance modes, the sequencer with trig conditions and plocks, love it. I will get a mk2 eventually, I donāt do much with samples partly because i am lazy and partly cause i just focus on making rhythms with it, maybe the mk2 will make it a bit easier to work with. It is my only piece of external gear.
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only thing that bums me about the rytm is the lack of quantized retrigs. it was originally documented in the manual. Itās the only actual real feature request I have for the unit. It would be great to jam around those pads with quantised trigs, as it stands itās pretty easy for your timing to be off, and retrig is more of a preplanned thing rather than something you can really perform
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I used to be happier with my rytm before getting an A4 tbh. I remembered reading comments about this earlier, people who had an A4/AK said they were better for certain drum synthesis than the rytmā¦ But at the time I didnt really mind since I found I could make the rytm synthesis work tooā¦ But dayum, now after getting an A4 I must confess I agree with the others.
Up until now, I have used very few samples. Now Im thinking I need to start using samples more, to give A4 something to be jealous aboutā¦ Its just that managing samples across projects is a huge PITA. Hoping that upcoming sample transfer thingamajig will help reusing sample content across projects as well.
But still, at the end of the day the rytm is a damn good drum machine. Just getting spoiled by the rest of the elektron lineup 
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That " sample transfer thingamajig" is long overdue.
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I traded my AR for a Machinedrum Mk2 and cash for a Digitakt. Couldnāt be happier with my decision. The AR has always felt like itās jack of all trades, master of none device.
Originally I got it as an analog sound source. I thought it would integrate well into my workflow through OB. The problem was that OB was not working reliably and the sounds I got needed tons of processing. It ended up being a time sink. Then I wanted to use the AR as a live device. I started to program up my live sets into the AR. It didnāt quite work because my sets are stereo and the mixes fell apart because the AR only plays back mono samples. I got OK results by using the reverb and delay to get a stereo effectā¦ but it took a lot of time and it wasnāt satisfactory. I also had issues with programming simple white noise by pinging and LFOā¦ it worked sort of, sometimes. I think I was trying to use the AR for the wrong thingsā¦ itās maybe my fault. However it was my first Elektron and I learned a lot from it.
You have been very fortunate to be able to play gigs with a proper stereo PA. Most gigs I have played at, the PA has been a far cry from what I hear in my project studio room.
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Itās not so much the stereo effect I was missing. Itās more that the way the AR sums to mono, something getās lost and the balances and volumes change. So I ended up trying to mix my tracks againā¦ screw that 
I havenāt touched my Rytm since getting the Digitakt a couple months ago. Iām really happy with the sounds I got from the AR, but I prefer the DTās cleaner sound, for now at least.
I think part of why I havenāt touched the AR is because its Function and Track buttons are opposite the DTās, and I initially got thrown off quite a bit when learning the DT.
Iāll keep holding on to it for a while but it will likely be the first Elektron I let go. MDUW is still my go to for drum synthesis and sound design. Really not trying to slight the AR though, as I made some of my favorite music with it.